Becoming Who We Are
by Boredone32
Summary: Prequel to The Blue Uprising. After being sentenced to death and rescued by his uncle, Zuko is now forced to travel the Earth Kingdom as a refugee from his own people. With his uncle at his side, the young firebender is forced to come to grips with his new life, and along the way realizes that his old one wasn't quite what it seemed to be.


**Becoming Who We Are**

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**Chapter 1**

**Prologue**

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**Author's Note: Hey everyone, and welcome to my new story, Becoming Who We Are. I didn't have a great title in mind, so I went with the most cliché thing that came to mind, and voila! Anyway, this is a prequel to The Blue Uprising series. I have tried writing TBU multiple times, and usually planned to effectively write this story in flashbacks, but I decided there was more than enough background to merit a completely separate story. This will be focused on Zuko and Iroh, and the Gaang will not be appearing in this story. They will arrive in the sequels, but not here.**

**I hope you enjoy the story, and please let me know what you think. This is my pet project, so I want it to be as good as possible, so if you see something that is off, please let me know.**

**Thanks,**

**Boredone32**

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He glared icily at the ground below him, projecting all of his pain, all of his anger, and all of his hatred onto the dusty cobblestone path he was seated upon. No amount of glaring at Earth Kingdom terrain could possibly make up for what had happened over the course of the past two weeks, but having an outlet with no way to defend itself made him feel at least a bit better. The comfort was an empty one, and while the dusty path provided a mental punching bag, it did nothing to soothe the raging tempest of emotions boiling inside the young firebender.

The door opened beside him, and Zuko stood without bothering to look at who had exited the building he had been leaning against. They were in a town of less than fifty; none of the shops were busy enough to have a patron other than his uncle. Said retired general was smiling like a giddy school girl as he exited the shop with an armful of seemingly useless crap and a coin purse with far less money than he had started with. Much to the chagrin of his younger companion, none of the items he had purchased even vaguely resembled supplies that would be useful on their upcoming journey.

"Ah, nephew, you'll be glad to hear I was able to find a new teapot, at a more than reasonable price, I might add." Zuko huffed indignantly, his reaction to the news anything but positive.

"Whatever. Can we leave this rat hole of a town now?" He felt the slightest twinge of guilt at his uncle's resigned sigh, but couldn't bring himself to care enough to apologize.

"I suppose it would be best to keep moving," Iroh relented. Zuko didn't bother to continue the conversation, merely starting down the beaten path with his small pack of supplies resting loosely on his back. "But before we go," Iroh added, practically jogging to keep up with his nephew. "Perhaps we should remove the bandages and check your wound. We can't risk it getting infected."

Zuko's shoulders slumped as he sighed solemnly, pain and anger striking him like a hurricane. "Fine. Whatever," he responded icily, his tone clearly displaying his discontent. Iroh nodded and set down his newly purchased gear as Zuko turned around and directed his stare back to the worn cobblestone below his feet. Iroh reached for the left side of the boy's face, being careful not to upset the mangled skin beneath the bandage. He slowly removed the protective cover from his nephew's face, cringing as he noticed the horrid discoloration.

Zuko refused to open the eye, deathly afraid of whether or not it would still be functional. Iroh analyzed the burn quickly, noting with a mild satisfaction that the wound was nearly healed. As close to healed as it was likely to get, at least. "I don't think you need to keep this on anymore," Iroh stated, much to Zuko's chagrin. The bandage gave him an excuse not to test his eye, and without it there would be no reason to keep it shut.

Sending out a prayer to every spirit Zuko knew the name of and putting on a mask of disinterest, he slowly began forcing his burned eyelids open. Opening his eye hurt, as the muscles were sore and the eye itself was unused to the light. He had to slam it shut again to avoid more pain, but he was glad that he would still be able to see out of it. After a few more attempts, Zuko finally managed to get his eye open. It wouldn't go all the way, but the prince wasn't about to complain. It was a small consolation, but at this point, Zuko would gladly take whatever he could.

His uncle smiled softly before nodding, apparently noticing the slight inflation in his nephew's mood. Realizing he was acting relieved, Zuko quickly set his mouth to a scowl before heading off down the beaten dust road.

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Iroh sighed as his nephew stared coldly into the fire, clearly just as bitter and angry as when their journey had started eight days earlier. After busting him out of prison, Iroh had managed to sneak the two of them onto a ship bound for the Earth Kingdom, and after four days at sea they had arrived in the small port town. They bought new clothes and a small amount of food before setting off for a less populated area, attempting to get ahead of their inevitable pursuers. Two days later they had made it to a smaller town and had removed Zuko's bandages, but since then they had been travelling through forest in a cold, tense silence that was only broken during brief conversations to communicate their plans.

Iroh couldn't imagine the pain his nephew was in, but he knew that helping the boy heal would be a slow, tense process. It would take time, and he would have to tread gingerly, but he was worried that if he didn't start soon, his nephew would give in entirely to his despair.

"You look troubled, Prince Zuko," he offered, knowing that his statement would be met with anger at worst and indifference at best. "Perhaps you would like to talk about it?"

Zuko huffed, his gaze remaining locked to the crackling flames before him. "There's nothing to talk about."

Iroh sighed, disheartened at the iciness in his nephew's tone. Zuko had never been the happiest child, but his demeanor was bordering on suicidal, though Iroh couldn't really blame the boy for that. "You've been through quite a bit in the past few days; I'd say there is a lot to talk about."

"Maybe I don't feel like talking," Zuko replied tersely, clearly getting upset at the older man's persistence. Iroh wasn't deterred.

"Not recognizing your problems doesn't mean they don't exist, nephew," Iroh said evenly, trying not to enrage his volatile companion.

"I'm living in a tent, travelling through some Earth Kingdom forest in the middle of nowhere, and eating old fruit and smoked fish. Twenty days ago I was sitting in the palace without a care in the world. My _problems_ are all-too-obvious, Uncle. That doesn't mean I want them all shoved back into my face," Zuko spat venomously, the campfire beside him waving and cracking with his anger.

"I am not intending to upset you, nephew," Iroh replied calmly and evenly. "I am merely suggesting that talking through what has happened to you may make you feel better."

Iroh winced as his nephew stood up, the fire soaring into the air with the young firebender's temper. The retired general couldn't be sure whether more heat was emanating from the tempest of flames or the raging firebender, but he was sure that the trees around them would soon be set alight.

"Talking isn't going to get me back to the Fire Nation. Talking isn't going to take away the death-sentence my father put on me. And talking sure as hell isn't going to make me feel better about my entire life being ripped away from me because I couldn't keep my mouth shut at a war council!" The firebender's angry voice echoed throughout the forest for a few moments as his breathing began to return to normal.

Iroh waited for his nephew's temper to recede, using the campfire as a gauge, before he responded. "I know you've been through a lot, and I can't begin to imagine how hard it is for you, Prince Zuko," he started, keeping his voice even and calm, despite his own anger and resentment. "But perhaps this could end up being a positive thing for you." Zuko's expression went from angry to incredulous and back to angry in the span of less than half a second, but Iroh continued before his nephew could begin yelling again. "When I lost my son, I felt like my entire life had ended. I lost my purpose, and I thought that nothing could ever make me feel better. I wanted to drown in my own sorrow for the rest of my life because I felt like every ounce of joy and meaning had been torn away from me."

Zuko's angry demeanor dissipated, though he didn't appear to be uplifted by the sentiment. "It took quite a while, and while nothing could ever replace my only son, his death forced me to look inward, to face the darkest side of myself, and to make a choice. I could let myself be submerged in pain and regret, or I could force myself to get back up and become a stronger and better man for it. As hard as it was and as much as it hurt, I did my best to move on. I'd be lying if I said I will ever get over Lu Ten's death, but I owe it to him to be the best person I can be each and every day."

Zuko sighed and sat down, turning back to fire as he avoided his uncle's eyes. "This is different," he said quietly. "I didn't lose a son; I lost everything."

Iroh chuckled mirthlessly as he forced back tears at the memory of his son. "I felt the same way, Prince Zuko. But I realized that sometimes we have to lose everything to learn what we're truly worth." Zuko offered no response, and Iroh could tell that he was done with the conversation. As his nephew lost himself in thought, Iroh allowed his mind to drift into a sea of old memories.

* * *

Around midday the forest finally opened up, and Zuko was greeted with the faint outline of what appeared to be a large port town a few miles in the distance. His uncle was only a few steps behind him, and when he finally cleared the last of the trees, Zuko could hear the man sigh audibly in relief. They had been running low on supplies, and would have ample time to stock up, and maybe find somewhere comfortable to sleep, now that they had returned to civilization.

"Do you know what town that is?" Zuko asked his uncle as they set off down a small dirt road that led from the forest's edge toward the looming village.

"I believe that is Garsai," Iroh replied, trying to recall their approximate location. "It's a decent sized port, with a similarly large town surrounding it. We should be able to remain unnoticed, though it is a neutral area."

Zuko sighed. A neutral town meant that there were likely Fire Nation citizens, or at least citizens of the colonies, in the area. They had cut off their topknots the night Zuko had escaped prison, but his uncle was still fairly recognizable. No one in the Fire Nation had seen Zuko since he had unveiled his scar, but travelling with his uncle would be a dead giveaway to anyone searching for him. Hopefully news of their escape hadn't gotten this far yet, or better yet his father had decided to leave them be.

"What do you think, Zuko?"

Zuko shook his head as he finally registered that his uncle had been talking to him, and asked him to repeat himself.

"I was suggesting that we stay the night at a local inn. It may be a bit risky, but we can get some good food and good sleep, so we will be better rested for the longer journey from here to the next village, Shinlong," Iroh repeated.

"Sure, sounds fine," Zuko replied. Iroh appeared to be both relieved and ecstatic at his response, but Zuko ignored it as he continued to worry about their safety within the confines of the town. He thought about proposing the idea of wearing disguises, but decided that the Earth Kingdom clothes they were wearing would be sufficient.

As the duo neared the town, Zuko was surprised to see both a Fire Navy ship and an Earth Kingdom ship docked at the same port, and wondered how they could keep a 'neutral' territory so… neutral. From what he had gathered at the palace, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers were likely to kill each other on sight, and nothing in his fifteen years there had led him to believe there were any exceptions.

"I've never heard of Shinlong," Zuko stated after a while, his thoughts having returned to their conversation when Iroh began rummaging through their gear to see how much money he could afford to spend at an inn. "Is it a major city?"

"Not at all," Iroh laughed, finally finding his stash of coins. "It's a small farming village of maybe two hundred people."

Zuko pondered his uncle's reasoning for going to such a small town for a moment before giving up and asking the old man.

"It's very loyal to the Earth Kingdom, and one of the few smaller towns that hasn't been wiped out or plundered by the Fire Nation armies. We should be safe there for a while, and we can stay with an old friend of mine," Iroh explained.

"How on earth do you have friends in the Earth Kingdom?" Zuko asked as he and his uncle entered a worn-down, seedy tavern that doubled as the lobby for the upstairs inn. Zuko grimaced in disgust as the stench of hard liquor met his nose, pouring off a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers arguing loudly to his left.

"I have many friends in many places," Iroh replied cryptically, something Zuko knew to be his way of dismissing a topic. Well, dismissing a topic or offering advice… or trying to incite thought.

Come to think of it, his uncle was always speaking cryptically.

"How may I help you?" came the hoarse voice of a small, old, bald man who stood behind the counter of the bar, washing out a mug with an obviously-forced smile on his face.

"We'd like to rent a room for the night," Iroh responded politely.

"It's twenty copper for a night," the man stated as Iroh fished for the money. He handed the man a handful of coins which was hastily counted and slid into a drawer with a nod of satisfaction. "Right this way."

Zuko followed the man and his uncle up a flight of old, creaky, wooden stairs and down a cramped, dusty hallway before arriving at their tiny, musty room. To say he wasn't impressed would be a significant understatement, but the young firebender figured it wouldn't be any worse than sleeping on the ground.

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Night had fallen and Iroh had already begun snoring like a Komodo-rhino during childbirth, though Zuko was having trouble getting to sleep. He had been paranoid all day, but their conversation with the waitress during dinner had made him significantly less comfortable.

Iroh had always been a sociable guy, but Zuko was impressed at how easily the man managed to converse with people he didn't even know, especially from the Earth Kingdom. As he watched the conversation play out the prince had realized that it was just like talking to any other stranger, but it still seemed like a daunting thing to overcome.

Somehow the two had begun talking about the Fire Navy ship in the harbor, and it turned out that it had arrived earlier that morning. Iroh seemed convinced that it was no big deal, but Zuko couldn't shake the nagging feeling that it meant something was up. If the ship had just come into the harbor, it meant that it could have come from just about anywhere, which meant that it could have left the Fire Nation capital _after _Zuko had made his escape nine days earlier. If the ship was looking for him and his uncle, the crew could have gotten around the entire town with their pictures well before he and his uncle had arrived.

Zuko froze when he heard a knock on their door, and every fiber of his being told him answering would be a bad idea. The knock came again a second time, this time more deliberate and clearly annoyed, and Zuko swallowed nervously before getting up to answer. He knew he looked different than he had since leaving the Fire Nation, but a thin line of hair wouldn't be enough to disguise his face if anyone he knew saw him.

He opened the door and his heart jumped as he came face to face with a tall, burly man wearing a Fire Navy uniform. Zuko didn't recognize the man, and he prayed to the spirits that the reverse was true as well. "My name is Private Chen," the man said, his voice authoritative and loud, as though Zuko was supposed to be impressed. "I am looking for two Fire Nation refugees under the direct orders of General Fuzen. Have you seen either of these two men?"

Zuko squinted to see the drawings in the dark, though he was pretty sure he already knew what he was looking at. The posters were of himself and his uncle, the latter looking far more accurate than the former, luckily.

"Uh, no," Zuko replied nervously, trying to sound sure of himself. "I haven't seen them."

"Are you sure," the man prodded. Zuko merely shook his head, afraid that his voice would betray him and doom both himself and his uncle. "Well, if you see either of them, please report any information to one of the Fire Nation soldiers posted here."

Zuko nodded as the man left, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "Hold on a second," the man said, returning just before Zuko had shut the door. "Do you know where the owner sleeps?"

"Nope," Zuko replied hastily, shaking his head. "Sorry." The private nodded and left, apparently satisfied to continue searching on his own. Zuko closed the door and slumped to the ground, trying to calm his racing heart as he struggled for air. After a few moments he finally regained his composure, but he was still in a panic and knew they needed to leave in a hurry. The owner would almost certainly recognize his uncle, which was decidedly not good.

Zuko shook the retired general violently as he told the man to wake up and began packing up their supplies. "Uncle get up," Zuko urged as Iroh groggily rubbed his eyes and stretched. "We need to get out of here, and fast."

"What's going on, nephew?" Iroh asked as Zuko shoved their still drying clothes into one of their bags.

"A soldier came by looking for us. They're gonna realize we're here, so we need to get moving. Hurry up!" Iroh snapped up with a speed that surprised his nephew, and the two quickly packed up and were ready to go within minutes.

"We shouldn't go through the front," Iroh suggested as Zuko made his way to their door.

"Do you know another way out?" Zuko asked, leaving his uncle to think for a moment before relenting with a sigh. Zuko peeked out of the doorway and looked down the hall, taking off silently and swiftly when he was satisfied that the way was clear. They arrived at the creaky, old steps and Zuko realized that their exit would no longer be able to remain silent, so he opted to trade subtlety for speed.

He and Iroh raced down the stairs, out the door, and off into the wilderness as they left the town and their pursuers behind.

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**A/N: So obviously this is AU, and in case it wasn't made clear in the story, here are the major changes:**

**Zuko was 'banished' at fifteen, though he was sentenced to death rather than merely banished. Iroh broke him out, and the two are now refugees. Though it isn't relevant yet (and I will cover it again when it becomes relevant) by the time the main cast appears their ages will be increased by one year each, except Toph, who will come into play earlier than Aang and the Water Tribe siblings.**

**I am also going to be messing with the war itself, specifically that the Fire Nation will be significantly closer to winning it. There will be new towns (obviously) and I will be toying with the history of both the White Lotus and the Blue Spirit, but again, those will come into play later.**

**Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the prologue (which will be shorter than normal chapters) and I would love to hear what you thought could use work. Quick shout-out to Vani (Wonderoasis), who was sorta the motivational factor in actually getting this going. Sorry I took so long and completely botched the whole eight-chapters-by-last-month thing.**

**I know this is a bit rushed, but things will slow down significantly after the prologue. Please try to bear with the quickened pace for... the chapter you just read? Whatever.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**-Boredone32**


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